Mansard Monday ~ The Mill Agent’s House.
Boston industrialists Amos and Abbott Lawrence and William Appleton formed the Salmon Falls Manufacturing Company and bought an existing cotton mill in Rollinsford, New Hampshire, in 1844. They expanded the mill into a complex of buildings over the following decades. This included tenement housing for workers, duplex housing for managers, and this 1864 Second Empire style Mill Agent’s house.
The style and siting of the house demonstrate the ability of architecture to project power and control. All the other company buildings in the village are restrained Greek Revival or Italianate in style and grouped closely together. But this house, in the latest style, sits alone on a terraced hill, overlooking the village.
The Second Empire style, identified by the Mansard roof, was being used for government buildings and the mansions of the wealthy across the country at the time this house was built. Although a simple brick box with minimal ornamentation, the style-defining roof clearly set it apart as the grandest house in town.
While the mill’s owners were off in their Boston mansions, there was no question in Rollinsford that their Agent was in charge and keeping a close eye on their investments.
Many examples of the Second Empire style and 24 other styles are included in Chapter 2 of “Restoring Your Historic House, The Comprehensive Guide for Homeowners.”
Signed and personalized copies of the award-winning and bestselling 720-page hardcover book are available from the author in our online shop at: YourHistoricHouse.com/shop/.
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© Scott T. Hanson 2025.
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